staybasic issue 07: grow
Get excited to grow! Ten tips for getting started with a family garden
Spring via Spain Fresh, nutritious recipes with an international twist
Strike a Pose (anywhere!)
12 experts share their wisdom on food, family, rhythm and happiness issue 07 :: spring 2014
4 simple asanas to jump-start your happiness and growth this spring
Kids in the Kitchen Teaching our children to cook, eat, and live well
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Contents staybasic issue 07: grow
food
family
Nourishing Your Body and Soul with Juice { 8 }
Ugly Vegetables and Beautiful Memories { 24 }
Susan Cabana, owner of Nourish Your Soul, tells us about how juice and smoothies can add a quick, nutrient-packed boost to your busy day – and how to get your kids to love them, too
From the Earth to Our Table { 12 }
Grace Lin, the author of The Ugly Vegetables, shares thoughts on her award-winning children’s book, how her mother’s Chinese vegetable garden led her to appreciate fresh produce, and sharing the joy of gardening with her own daughter
Mia reflects on gardening: connecting with the earth, with our kids, and with our communities
Kids in the Kitchen: Learning to cook, eat, and live well { 26 }
Spring via Spain: Fresh Tastes with a Twist
Sally Sampson, founder of ChopChop Magazine, explains the many benefits of bringing kids into the kitchen, how to start your kids cooking, and why making a mess isn’t so bad after all
{ 16 }
Spring produce is hitting farm stands and sprouting in gardens across the country – and beyond! Broaden your palate with Spanish-inspired recipes by Eva Rawposa, raw foods expert, that give an international flavor to spring’s bounty
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Buckle up Buttercup! It’s ON! { 30 } Marriage Educator and Divorce Preventionist Stacey Martino tells you how to create an “unshakable love” that serves the whole family, and why your spouse needs to be number ONE in your life (yes, even before the kids!)
“ Man is formed for growth... It is essential to his happiness that he should continuously advance.” Wallace D. Wattles
rhythm
happiness
Growing a Vegetable Garden as a Family { 34 }
Spring Asanas: Jump-start your happiness this spring { 43 }
Get excited to grow! Brianna Nash, a life coach to mothers and proud owner of a fruitful patio garden, shares 7 simple steps to easily start a garden and keep the kids involved
Taylor Wells, owner of five yoga studios and author of Create the Best Life Ever, shares her favorite yoga poses that support spring, growth and happiness – and can even be done in the car
10 : 10 : 10
Why Your Family Needs You to Receive { 46 }
{ 36 }
No time for a spa treatment? Can’t make it to yoga? Self-care doesn’t have to take more than 10 minutes at a time, a few times a day. Nina Manolson of Nourished Woman Nation shows us the way
Seasonal Foods and Simple Systems { 40 } Do you eat meals that truly serve you? Nutrition Coach Dahlia Shaaban explains why it’s best to shop locally, how to streamline prep time, and why true nourishment goes well beyond what you eat
Star Staubach, life coach and owner of Ignite Radiance, teaches us why it’s important to allow others to give to you, and how to activate your receiving practice
Prepare for a Great Garden!
{ 50 }
Cleaning and caring for your garden tools Professional organizer Scott Roewer helps us prepare our gardens and yards for success, starting with tool cleaning and care
take action
{ 52 }
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Contributors
Susan Cabana
Mia Moran
Eva Rawposa
Grace Lin
nourishyoursoul.com
staybasic.com
uncooking101.com
gracelin.com
Stacey Martino
Brianna Nash
Nina Manolson
Dahlia Shaaban
loveandpassioncoach.com
briannalnash.com
ninamanolson.com
dahliashaaban.com
Taylor Wells
Star Staubach
Scott Roewer
Sally Sampson
pranapoweryoga.com
igniteradiance.com
solutionsbyscott.com
chopchopmag.org
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staybasic Magazine is accessible for busy moms on the go!
Get your free subscription today!
StayBasic magazine brings you {a busy mom} expert advice, helpful strategies, and small, doable steps to help you feel great every day. Our mission is to bring every mom the best of simple, healthful cooking and an easy rhythm of living — with articles and interviews, activities, recipes, and lots of resources to help you create your best life, one meal at a time. { All recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-centered, processed sugar-free, and delicious! }
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follow mia on social media! www.facebook.com/staybasic www.twitter.com/staybasicblog www.pinterest.com/staybasic www.instagram.com/staybasic staybasic magazine Mia Moran / mia@staybasic.com Publisher and Creative Director Kate Tirone / kate@staybasic.com Senior Writer and Editor Questions or Comments? info@staybasic.com Share your wisdom with our readers Editorial calendar / staybasic.com/submissions Mailing Address: 10 Court Street No. 319 Arlington, MA 02476
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Inspiring busy moms to grow and take action — one meal at a time a letter from the editor. I love the idea of spring, but sometimes in New England the rain and cold lasts a bit longer than I feel ready for! Kids always find the fun in the rain, so I try to let my kids three little ones inspire me. They remind me of the joy in this time — the ground is getting ready for an abundant growing season; it is also a great time to clean up house, body, and mind. Spring is a time for Growth. We have a new format to share with you to make our magazine more reader-friendly for you, our community of moms. We now have four departments — Food, Family, Rhythm, and Happiness. In this issue, with our springtime theme “GROW”, we bring you an amazing array of experts — and we hope you will visit the sites of the ones that speak to you! You will find inspiration to eat farm-fresh and make a garden of your own. You will see how other busy mamas have put healthy food first, and hear from moms whose own mothers put wholesome food first, and what that has meant for them. You will find delish recipes for enjoying the bounty of farm fresh foods. You will hear how other moms make love, connection and self-care the top priorities in their busy schedules and how they make it happen. There is amazing content on how to inspire your kids. A lot of that means taking care of yourself and your relationships first, so your kids get all the benefits a healthier, happier mom brings. And there are also many strategies for how and when to bring your kids along on your journey. Today I was in yoga class, and the teacher told a story of buying a minivan. She has three kids and a dog, and she had outgrown her car a while ago but fought the idea of what having a minivan means. But she realized in her first 24 hours in her new car that all that was just a story she had made up in her head and that in many ways her new car would make her life easier. There is always something, always the old stories and the old habits that we hold on to so tightly. Let spring be a time of change, a time of growth, and a time to let go of old habits that don’t serve you and create new stories about a life you love. And let the smart, vibrant, joyful experts who make up the pages of StayBasic inspire that growth in you! Love and growth,
Mia
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food
From the Earth to Our Table
We have a small garden to watch our veggies grow. We grow the quick stuff: herbs and radishes and baby lettuces. We grow the hearty stuff: three kinds of kale, carrots, and beets.
We water daily and harvest weekly.
We make salads straight from the earth.
To see a child pull a radish from below the dirt. We connect with local farmers for fruits and all the other veggies.
We invest in a farm share each year. We visit the farmer’s market together every Wednesday.
We wait for berries and tomatoes. Fresh food tastes so much better, with more flavor. It is priceless to know where our food comes from.
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“ Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.�
Leo Tolstoy
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rhythm
Friday is pasta night at Mia’s house. Learn how to make the seasons freshest veggies into a yummy gluten-free pasta dish. Get recipe here 
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staybasic Are you a busy mom? Do you have days when everyone wants something different to eat, and no one seems to be hungry for dinner!
Join Mia for a free call happy family meal planning Learn how to create a solid rhythm to eat healthy, feel great, and make every meal a moment to look forward to – for life.
sign up for the free call Âť
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Back to Basics 30 Days to a Happier, Healthier You
Do you struggle with lack of energy, extra weight, and shifting moods? Are clean eating and exercise at the bottom of your to-do list because you’re so busy caring for everyone else? Do you want to feel energetic, fit, and excited about your life? Back to Basics: 30 Days to a Happier, Healthier You gives busy moms simple daily steps to eat clean and feel great in just 30 days. Developed by a working mom of three for busy moms, you will get simple strategies for stripping out the foods that are weighing you down, with delicious recipes that keep you satisfied and energetic all day. What makes our plan different is that we know how hard it is to put yourself first — what it is like to be tugged on by little hands! And we want you to feel your best so that you can later spread the love to your family. Spend 30 days, enjoying our small, simple steps (one a day to be exact) that will help you thrive.
Get it now! It’s free. 30 Days to a Happier, Healthier You!
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Believe you can and you’re halfway there –Theodore Roosevelt
If you can dream it, you can do it. –Walt Disney
If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. –Tony Robbins
–Arthur Ashe
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. –Aristotle
The mind is everything.
What you think you become. –Buddha
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. –Leonardo da Vinci
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to dos
TAKE ACTION This section has actionable steps that you can take today based on the articles in the magazine. Don’t take all of them on at once. Pick one thing and try it. Visit this section regularly and make many small changes that will create a big impact over the next 2 months. The things that speak to you of course! If you are serious, put them in your calendar.
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3. Get your kids growing...
Sign-up now! It’s free. 30 Days to a Happier, Healthier You!
1. Add a juicy dose of nutrition to your day! Make it a habit to start your day with a juice or smoothie. Try different combos of your favorite fruits and veggies, and always include dark leafy greens for super nutrition – add nut milk or avocado to make them creamy! Don’t have a juicer or blender? There are many brands of sugar-free juices at your local market (check the label!) and many health food stores even make them fresh. Enjoy one today!
2. Enjoy the abundance of new spring produce. Gorgeous, colorful new fruits and vegetables are gradually appearing on market shelves across the country as winter thaws and spring arrives. Schedule a couple hours on your calendar to take the kids to your local farm, co-op or farmers market to select seasonal foods and talk to your growers. After you come home, take some time to chop, soak, and prep with the kids for time together and fresh foods all week long.
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No matter how young your kids, or how tight your space, you can give them the amazing experience of watching seeds grow into food. Whether it’s a small veggie plot in your backyard, one tomato plant on your patio, or even just a bean seed in a paper cup on your windowsill, the miracle of growth teaches children patience, appreciation, and the lesson of how food comes to be. Delight and wonder are included!
4. ...and get your kids cooking. Don’t fear the mess! Kids are capable at every age of helping mom in the kitchen: little ones can rinse fruit for snacks, and older kids can chop veggies for tonight’s salad. Supervise from an early age and develop skills step-by-step, and look forward to their greater pride and confidence, and love for healthy food (and maybe someday, a night off from making dinner!)
5. Read all about it. If your kids are too young to garden or cook, you can share the love of gardening and cooking through the magic of books. Visit your library together and ask your librarian to help select books on food and gardening suitable for your child’s age. Then make time each night or weekend to read to your kids (or have your kids read to you!) and discuss the stories and lessons. And don’t forget to check out one of our favorites, Grace Lin’s award-winning The Ugly Vegetables!
6. Put your spouse first. For the next 5 days, try looking at your world with different eyes. Think about where your partner is on your list. Ask yourself, “if my partner was my #1, what would I do or say here?” Notice when you put your kids before your partner and feel how that feels. At least ONE time per day, make a conscious choice to align with your partner and put him/her first before the kids. See what difference this creates in your life!
7. Move self-care to the top of your to-do list. Use the 10.10.10 method to get 10 minutes of “you” time into your day, three times a day. Create a self-care habit by attaching your 10 minutes of “you time” to another habit, such as sitting quietly for 10 minutes after showering, taking a 10-minute walk alone after dinner, or relaxing with your favorite tea each night. Start today and see how much 10 minutes can give you.
8. Strike a pose. You don’t need to be in yoga pants to fit a renewing stretch into your day! Set a reminder on your phone or in your planner to try one new spring asana (yoga pose) each week, and make a habit of giving your body that moment of love and care at least once each day.
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to dos
9. Practice saying “Thank you” as a whole sentence! When people give you compliments and gifts, learn to leave it at “Thank you”, and really feel the love. You are valuable and deserving of love and care, and your family, friends, and others feel good when you willingly receive their love. So make a practice of receiving graciously: when you’re given a gift or compliment, say “Thank you” with a smile, feel the love and respect you are being given, and know your enjoyment and gratitude is a service to those you love.
10. Enjoy a garden, no matter where you start. Start today getting the whole family excited to garden! If you already have a garden, browse seed catalogs, start planning, and clean your shed or garage and organize your gardening tools. If you’re new to gardening, select fun plants and pots and take the pressure off – really have fun with being a beginner and learning! You will be amazed by the nourishment you and your kids get from digging into soil and watching your seeds grow into food.
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